Method of making blade rings for elastic-fluid turbines



Oct. 9 1923.- l 1,470,501

c. sTEENsTRuP METHOD OF MAKING BLADE RINGS FOR ELASTIC FLUID TURBINES vFiled July s. 1920 IVA v y y W I ilH'll 23 O I n ventor': Chr'stianteenstrup bac/bfi 4. vw

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Patented Oct. 9, `lu923.

UNITED STATES 1,410,501- Parleur oFFlcE.

CHRISTIAN s TEENsTEUP, or sonENEcTAnY, NEW Yonx, AssIGNoE To GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION or NEW YORK.

vIELHOD OF MAKING BLADE `RINGS FOR ELAST-ICJLUID TUBBINES.

Application led July 3,`

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN STEEN- STRUP, a citizen of the United States,`resid ing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady,

State of New York, have invented certaln new and useful Improvements in Methods of Making Blade Rings for Elastic-Fluid Turbines, of which the following is a speci-V fication. The present -invention relates to elastic* fluid turbines, and is particularly applicable to turbines of the radial flow type which comprise two opposed rotors which revolve in Opposite directions and carry axially ex tending interleaving blade rings throughwhich the motive fluid flows in a radial direction. Each blade ring is attached at one end to a rotor, the other end being free, and theattaching means may comprise suitable expansionrings such as are now known in this fart. My invention 'is not necessarily limited to such turbines, however, but may be utilized in any type of turbine to which it may be found applicable.

The blade rings, Since they are carried at ,f one end only and extend axially, must be quite stiff and the same Aare accordingly provided with rings at their ends which serve to hold the ends of the blades, and with reinmay be one, two or more reinforcing rings, according to the axial length of the blade ring and they serve to divide the blade ring into a number of blade sections. A completed blade ring thus hasthe a peara'nce of a number of spaced rings wit lengths of blading between them. y

The object of lmy invention is to provide an improved method of making a turbine element such as a blade ring ofthe above describedtype and for a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompan ing description and the claims appended t ereto.

In the drawing wherein I have illustrated my invention applied to the building of a blade ring, Fie'. 1 is a perspective view of a length of blading; Fig. 2 is a perspective4 view of a spacing and reinforcing piece; Fig. 3 is a perspective View illustrating the initial building up of a blade ring structure; Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are views illustrating ste s which may be used in carrying out my met od; Fig. 8 is a diametrical sectional view of brazing, welding or the like.

forcing rings between their ends. 'There 1920. seran No. 393,930.1

a completed blade ring; and Fig. 9 is a side 55 4elevation of a spacing ring. y

In carrying out my inventionI provide bucket or blade lengths 10 as shown in Fig.

1 of a length equalto the total axial length of the blade ring to be made. Bucket lengths im 10 may be cut from strips of bucket or blade vmaterial which have been suitably shapedfas by drawing, rolling or other means, and can be thus provided in quantity ata low manufacturing cost. I also provide spacing blocks 11 as shown in Fig. 2 which can be readily made by providing bars ofthe correct shape which are out .up into blocks, or by stamping or punching `them from suitable strip material. I then build up a blade ring from these blade lengths and spacing blocks, the blades and blocks being first fastened to.- gether in what may be termed' anv initial or temporary manner by are welding, spot welding or other suitable means, after which the parts are permanently united into an integral structure by fusion of metal, as by Preferably I employ the method of uniting as set forth in my application Serial No. 354,614, filed January 26, 1920. This method comprises, placing the assembled structure in a suitable muiercontaining a reducingY atmosphere such as hydrogen and heating it, an alloying metal such as copper having been previously placed adjacent to the' joints between the parts to be united. When heated to a suitable temperature, the copper enters the interstices between the parts and unites them to eachother to form in substance an integral structure. However, my invention 'is 'not necessarily limited to this specific method of uniting the parts and it is to be understood that by the term fusion of metal I mean the particular method referred to or other suitable method.

I will now describe the specific method I- now prefer for building up a blade rin in accordance with my invention. Inthe instance I stand a ring of blades lO'on one end on a support with spacing blocks 11 resting on the support between the lower blade ends, the ring of blades having a diameter approximately equal tothat desired for the completed blade ring. As a convenient form of support I may utilize a rin 12 as Shown in Fig. 3 which'is provided wit openings 13 of a size to receive the ends of blades 10, the

openings being spaced apart a distance equal to the spacing required for the buckets of the blade ring. As is clear from Fig. '3, the blocks 11 are wider than blades l() and have curved surfaces to conform to the contour of the blades. After a ring of blades has been built up with spacing blocks between their lower ends, I then place a temporary spacing ring 14 around the lower' end of the blades, which ring is of a width equal to the spaces desired between the reinforcing rings. Spacing ring 14 may be in the form of a. split spring ring, as shown in Fig. 9, and it may be spread slightly, slipped down over the bucket ring from the top and then permitted to spring together. It is positioned so as to rest on the upper surfaces of the first ring of spacing blocks 11. After spacing ring 14 is in place I thenarrange another row of spacing blocks 11 around the bucket ring, the same resting on and being spaced flom the First row by ring 14. A second spacing ring 14 is then placed on this second row of spacing blocks and another row of spacing blocks arranged above it. This is repeated until the spacing rings and blocks are built up to the top edge of the blades. In the present instance and by Way of example I have shown in Fig. 3 two spacing rings 14,14, and three rows of blocks 11,

but obviously any desired length of blade ring may be built up' a similar. manner.

If found desirable, in assembling a blade ring-structure after the manner described, I may build it up around a collapsible sleeve as shown in Fig. Such a sleeve may comprise a cylinder 15 having a flange 16 at its lower end and a cone-shaped opening through' it. In cylinder 15' are axially eX! tending slots 17, some of which extend from the top of the cylinder nearly 'to its bottom, and others of which extend from nthe bottom nearly to its top. These slots permit the.v sleeve to be'V compressed. Injassembling a blade ring structure on such a-sleeve; I ma build it up directly on flange 16 after the manner already described in connection with Fig. 3, or I may first place a. ring 18-similar to ring 12 dn flange 16 and then build the blade 'ring structure', the lower ends'of the blades resting in slots in ring 18. .J-

After a. blade ring .structure has been-as` sembled in the manner described, a collapsible sleeve 20 is placed around the structure.'' as shown in Fig. 5, afterwhich the inner'V collapsible sleeve 15 is removed if thev structure has been previously built Jup around it as shown in Fig. 4. The collapsible sleeve 20 may be similar in .strnctureto sleeve Y .15 except that it has a cylindrical inner sur? Slots 21 face and -a conical outer surface. which extendpart way through sleeve \20 from its opposite ends permit it to collapse when a ring 22 having a conical inner surface is forced down over its outer conical surface. Sleeve 20 is now collapsed so as to J compress the built up blade ring structure and bring the blades and spacing blocks into lirm engagement with each other, the structure being preferably forced into a slightly smaller diameter than the diameter which the blade ring is to have when completed.

While held thus'compressed by sleeve 20.

the'structure is welded together in a temporary or initial manner in any suitable way,-

moved and the structure fastened together still more securely as by further welding, or by fusion of metal as by brazing or the like. The structure is now again inserted into collapsible sleeve 2O and the sleeve is compressed -to make the structure round, after which the sleeve with the structure therein is mounted on a plate 19 which in turn is fastened to a boring mill. A cut then taken through the inside of the structure to give it a smooth even surface as seen in Fig. 7.

Following this the structure is again removed from collapsible sleeve 20 and is mounted on an expanding sleeve or mandrel 24C, similar to sleeve 15, and adapted to be expanded by driving a lcone-shaped head 25 i shown with ribbon 27 wound therein, while the uppermost groove 26 is shown with ribbon not yet wound therein.

After ribbon has been Wound in all the the y grooves, the structure is removed from the .mandrel and permanently united in a final manner by fusion of metalso as to form in substance a permanent integral unit. Preferably this'nal uniting is made in ,accordance with the method set forth in my prior Y application already referred Ato herein. At

this time the structure may be heat treated also if found desirable;

Having been finally united7 by fusion of metal,".the structure is again mounted on an expanding mandrel as shown in Fig. 7' and expanded until the pitch diameterof the blades is correct. Or should it happen that the structure is too large it ma have a collapsible'sl'eeve or mandrel as s own in Fig. 6 placed around it and be compressed to the correct diameter. The structure is nowy suitably inished inside and outside and a groove^ 28 turned in one end to receive an expansion ring by whicli'fit to attached to the rotor,

lll

if such is the case. The completed structure would then have the appearance shown in i Fig- 8.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the prinderstood that the particular method described is only illustrative and that the invention. may becarried out with such modilications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States,

il. The method lof'manu'facturing a blade ring of the ty e comprisinga plurality of spaced, paral el reinforcing rings with lengths of blading between them which comprises taking lengths of blading and spacing blocks, building up the complete structure therefrom, the blocks being arranged between the blade lengths at the points where the reinforcing rings are to occur, and finally uniting the build-up structure by fusion of metal.

2. The method of making a blade ring which comprises building up the structure complete from lengths'pf blading and spacing blocks, uniting the built-up structure in an initial manner, and then permanently.

uniting it into an integral structure by fusion of metal.

3. The method of. making a blade ring which comprises taking lengths bf blading substantially equal to the` total length of the completed blade ring and spacing .blocks building up a. ring of blades with rows 0i spacing blocks at the two ends of the blades and Yat one or more intermediate points, uniting the built-up structure` in a temporary manner, and then permanently uniting it into an integral sti'ucture by fusion of metal. l

4. The method of making a blade ring which comprises taking "lengths of bladin substantially equal to the total length o the completed blade ring and spacing blocks, building up a rin of blades with `rows of spacing blocks at t e two ends of the blades and at one or more intermediate points, placing a collapsible sleeve around the built-up structure to press the structure together, welding the structure together in an initial manner, and then removing it from` the sleeve and permanently uniting the structure by-fusion of metal. i

5. The method of making a blade ring which comprises building up a structure from lengths of blading and .rows of spacing blocks, saidi rows of spacin blocks being spaced by .rings encircling tEe blades, compressing the built-.up structure by mean! `of acollapsible sleeve, -welding the spacing bloc s of each row together, then removing the sleeve and permanently uniting the structure by fusion of metal.

6. The method of making a blade ring whichv comprises building up a structure i from lengths of blading and rows of spacing blocks, said rows of spacing blocks being spaced by rings encircling the blades, oompressing the built-up structure by means of a collapsible sleeve, welding the spacing blocks of each row to ether, cutting annular grooves around the rings of spacing blocks, windingmetallic ribbon therein, and per manently uniting the structure by fusion of metal.

7. Thev method of making a blade ring which comprises, building up a structure from lengths of blading and rows of spacing blocks, said rows of spacing blocks being spaced by rings encircling the blades, com-v pressing tlie lbuilt-up structure by means of `a A collapsible sleeve, welding the spacing blocks of each row together, removing the' sleeve and permanently-uniting the structure by fusion of metal, and then bringing it to correct diameter by expanding it or compressing it by means of expanding or collapsible Sleeves.

` 8. The method of bringing a built-up blad ring to correct pitchv diameter, which Lcomprises inserting a split sleeve in the ring and expanding the sleeve Iand then placing a; split sleeve around the ring and compressing it.

9. The` method of making' a blade ring whichcomprises building it up around a sleeve from blades which are the full lengt of the finished blade ring and spacing blocks,

and then uniting the built-up structure by fusion of metal.

l0. The method of making a blade ring which comprises building it up around a sleeve from blades which are the full length of the finished blade ring and spacing blocks, uniting the structure in an initial manner, turning grooves in the rows of spacing blocks, winding metallic ribbonin said grooves, and then permanently uniting the structure by fusionof metal.

11. The method of strengthening 'a blade ring built up from blade lengths and spacing ing the layers of ribbon by fusioniof'metal..

In .witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of July, 1920.

CHRISTIAN STEENSTRUP.' 

